The dense, carcinogenic smog currently wreathing Beijing and almost a quarter
of China is stunting crops, causing seedlings to wither and could trigger
agricultural disaster for hundreds of thousands of farmers.

The warning, issued by crop experts and shared by Beijing farmers interviewed
by The Times, compares the smog with the effects of a nuclear winter
and comes as the Chinese capital enters a third week of air pollution more
than ten times higher than safety levels recommended by the World Health
Organisation.

With Beijing in a state of “orange alert” for the first time since the
designation was invented,